The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-04-21

and waiting for you to return. A young
man said to his father:
81 am going off; / will write to you at
the end OF seven years and tell you where
am"
Many years have passed along since
that son went away, and for years the
father has been going to the depot in the
village, on the arrival of every tram, and
when he hears the whistle in
the distance he is thrilled with excite
ment, and he waits until all the pas
sengers have come out, and then he waits
until the train has gone clear out of sight
again, and then he goes home, fastening
back to the next train; AMI he will be at
every train until that son comes back,
unless the son waits until the father be
dead.
But, OIL the greater patience of God
He has been waiting for you, not seven
years, not nine years, but for some of you
twenty years, thirty years, forty years,
fifty years-waiting, caliing-waiting,
calling. until nothing but omnlpotent
patience could have endured it. Oh, my
brother! do not take the sentiment of my
text as your sentiment. We do care for
your soul.
One Sabbath night years ago, in my
church i'll Brooklyn. young man ap-
peared at the end of the platform, an he
said to me:
'Ihave just come off the sea-"
] said:
''When did you arrived"
Said he:
II came into port this afternoon. 1 was
in great blow off Cape Hatteras this
last week, and thought that / might as
90 tn To Ho1I T -
the ship would sink; but sir, never very
seriously thought about my soul until to-
night''
said to him:
"Do you feel that Christ is able and
willing to save youg
sob, yes" he replied, 81 do"
"Weil," l said, ''now you are willing to
come and be saved by HIm2"
II am," he said.
swell, will you now, in the prayer we
are about to offer, give yourself to God for
time and eternity!n
81 will" he said.
Then we knelt in prayer, and after we
had got through praying he toll me that
the great transformation had taken place.
l could not doubt it. He is on the sea now
do not know what other port he may
gain Or lose, but think he will gain thu
harbor of Heaven.
Star Of peace, beam DER the billow,
Bless the soul that signs for thee;
Bless the sailors lonely pillow,
Far, far at sea.
1t was sudden conversion with him that
night Oh that it might be sudden con-
version with you to-day! God can save
you IN one moment as we'll as he can in
century. There are sudden deaths, sud-
den calamities, sudden losses. Why not
sudden deliverancesa Gods spirit is
infinite in speed. He comes here with
omnipotent power, and he is ready here
and now, lnstantaneously and forever to
save your soul. believe that multitude
OF you will to-day come to God. feel you
are coming, and you will bring along your
families and your friends with you. They
have heard in Heaven already Of the step
you are about to take. The news has been
cried along the golden streets, and has
rung out from the towers:
"a soul savedl A soul savedr
But there is some one here to-day who
will reject this gospel. He will stay out of
the kingdom of God himself He
will keep his family and his friends
out. 1t is dreadful thing for a
man just to plant himself in the
way OF life, then keep back his children,
keep back his companion in life, keep
back his business partners-refuse to go
into Heaven himself, and refuse to let
others go in.
A young man, at the close of a religious
service, was asked to decide the matter OF
his souls salvation. He said:
81 will not do it tonight"
Well, the Christian man kept talking
with him, and he SAID:
II insist that tonight you either take
God or re iect him."
''Well," said the young man, s'if you
put it that way, will reject him. There
now, the matters settled"
On his way home On horseback, he knew
not that tree had fallen aslant the road,
and he was going at full speed, and he
struck the obstacle and dropped lifeless
That night his Christian mother heard the
riderless horse plunging about the barn,
and mistrusting something terrible was
the matter, she went out and came to the
place where her son lay, and she cried
out:
'Oh, Henryl dead and not Christian.
Oh, my son! my soni dead and not a
Christian. Oh, Henry, Henryi dead and
not a Christian
God keep US from such catastrophe.